How do I plan an answer to a close reading question in my exam?

The first thing I tell students is when presented with a question, take time to plan. Do not start writing immediately - most of what you will produce won’t be much good. In a lesson, I provide students with a fool proof structure, beginning with an introduction and a clear statement of argument, which is then followed through in the response. I emphasise the important of topic sentences and links to anchor thought, and train students in how to craft the best ones in a short space of time. 
When teaching exam preparation, I get students to focus on a few specific observations they might have. Often the brightest students have so many thoughts they can’t order them properly, and give them space to breath (I know I suffered from this!). When I studied at Cambridge, I was trained in close reading in weekly supervisions and thought techniques on how to quickly get the most out of a short piece of poetry or prose, and I’m looking forward to passing these onto your young person!